Flirt
by tea-induced scribbles
Summary: For the Valentine's Day Extravaganza! Pre-Darien days; Tom and his buddies are cheering up a heart broken friend at a local bar. AU version of how Tom and Sasha first met.


_A/N: This story is for the Valentine's Extravaganza and is slightly AU as we have no idea how the two meet for the first time. So please allow for slightly OOC-ness as they are younger versions of themselves. The idea is courtesy of_ _ndj35: story must include a bad pick-up line. Example: "you put the 'fox' in foxhole." Choice of characters. Bonus points if the pick-up line is military related._

 _Enjoy!_

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 **Flirt.**

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"Thomas, it's your turn." Ensign Carmen Rivera told 2nd Lieutenant Thomas Chandler. She held out her purse which contained a bunch of small notes, her wallet and other female paraphernalia that Tom didn't want to think or know about. The woman at their table was like a little sister to them all so when it turned out Valentines that she wasn't getting a diamond ring for surprise but instead finding her boyfriend with another woman. Well, the team stepped up to take her out for drinks and distractions so she didn't go back to apartment off base and maim her ex with her k-bar knife. She had enough spirit and anger to make them all believe she was capable of it.

Thus they ended up in one of the few bars near base that wasn't covered in hearts and cupids in adulation to the day. In fact it was a complete dive with very few women, and many people who looked like they preferred the company of their drinks than being there for their amusement.

Lt Pete Sanders, Petty Officer Samuel Tierney, Seaman Charlie Wilkinson and Tom had suffered through some serious gender bashing and probably tequila to ensure that PT tomorrow would be hell. Tom luckily was spared the tequila as he was designated driver thanks to his injury from their last deployment. An injury that had him teaching a semester at Naval Academy until he was 100%.

"Do I really have to do this?" Tom asked as he was way too sober for this.

"Yes, because you all promised to take me out and show me a good time. Knowing full well that you'd have to participate in the Bachelor games to cheer me up on this stupid day that was designed to demoralise single women." Rivera slurred as she held out her purse. For the past hour, the other men had been taking turns in Rivera's 'Bachelor Games' which seemed like the Olympics version of humiliating men. For most part it was amusing to watch but Tom had hoped to not participate but now he was outnumbered as the men looked at with 'Dude, your turn' looks while Rivera wore an amused grin.

"Yeah, Tom. Nut up and play this is strangely fun." Pete quipped before he took a sip of his beer.

"Shouldn't you be with your soon to be wife?" Tom asked him as the man should be helping him not throwing him to the sharks.

"Nope, she said Valentine's day is nothing more than a Hallmark pimped sham for big corporation to balance out their spreadsheets than about love." Pete informed him as Tom knew the man would not let him off the hook. This was what Tom got for being single, to be tortured by a stupid game. A stupid game that was slightly hazardous as it involved crude pick up lines on the women in the bar.

So far there were ruined shirts and one minor injury but at least Rivera was smiling. Frankly, it was funny watching women turning the guys down as they were usually far smoother in their game of picking up women.

"Amen brother." Rivera said as she tapped her beer glass to his and drank to it. Tom would never understand the problem with being single especially if you were female on this day. But he also knew better than to ask, growing up with two sisters taught him that.

"I know." Pete said as he took a sip of his beer pleased with himself that his fiance didn't care about the 14th February. "Now pick Tommy boy before Rivera pulls out her tazer and show you her version of a good time." Pete added, Tom looked to Rivera who gave an evil grin, the woman was just plain blood thirsty when it came to violence and her friends. She might be considered their little sister but damn if she wasn't just as dangerous as the rest of them even more so. In fact he was pretty sure if a guy followed her into a back alley looking for trouble would end up running away from her screaming like a little boy for his Mom.

"Fine, but for the record you scare me." Tom told Rivera as he pulled out the piece of paper. He unfolded it and gave a sardonic laugh as it was just so wrong.

"You have your material. Lieutenant. Now all you have to do to make it to the next round is avoid getting kicked in the nuts like Wilkinson. So I suggest you choose your target wisely." Rivera told him.

"If I can't have kids I'm going to find a gypsy to curse you." Wilkinson told Rivera, she made a face at him and poked out her tongue before she zeroed back in on Tom.

"I'd say the banging redhead but she's not your type." Rivera told Tom, he glowered at her.

"Blondie, she's been checking us all out." Pete said excitedly as he was off the hook.

"She's checking me out boys, shame I don't play that way cause she is fine." Rivera said with a sigh as she scanned the bar. her eyes stopped on someone and Tom felt like he was going to sick. "hold up, I found her. Tom at your 6, raven black hair can't tell much else but good frame on her. She might be a butter face?" she asked looking to the men for consensus.

"God, you're so terrible towards your own kind." Tierney said as he wiped a hand down his face probably wishing he could wash out the memories of the night.

"I'm sure she has a great personality." Rivera said with a cheeky smile as she looked to Tom. "Go on, go to her. She looks hard to get which will make her shutting you down so much better for my ego. Pretty boy." she added.

"I outrank you." Tom said glowering at the nickname as he didn't see anything pretty about his face.

"Sorry, Lt Pretty Boy." Rivera said with a mock salute. She was lucky they had a rule about ranks and regs being left at the base. Granted there were provisos as some regs just weren't broken like fraternisation but a little insubordination was acceptable. "Now go." she said shooing him away.

Tom pushed away from their table and pocketed his 'mission' as he walked over to his 'target', she sat at the bar stirring a drink with a swizzle stick; staring off into space with a desolate expression. The closer he got the more he realised that he was going to get kicked or a drink thrown in his face which was justifiable but if he backed out. Well, he'd never hear the end of it. Damn if she wasn't beautiful, her long dark hair loose around her shoulders contrasting beautifully with her ivory skin. She wasn't dressed up, her body language screaming at the world to take a hike. She definitely wanted to be alone and part of him could understand that.

"Hey," Tom said as he sidled up next to her at the bar, she didn't flinch or even look in his direction. She just kept turning the swizzle stick in her glass.

"I see what you and your boys are up to. So go away, I'm not interested." She told him.

"Humour me," Tom said, she looked to him and he felt slightly taken back by how stunning her light blue eyes were. She was definitely not a butter face, she was breathlessly gorgeous.

"Why so you can tell me how I put the 'Fox' into Foxhole?" She asked him drily as she lifted her drink up to her lips and took a sip.

"Actually I was going to ask if you are seaworthy? Because I'm going to ride you till dawn." Tom said with a serious expression, the woman who'd been mid-swallow of her drip sprayed her drink in his face as she burst out laughing. Tom winced as the spray of her gin and tonic hit his face, the woman covered her mouth looking mortified even though she trying not to laugh.

"I'm sorry." she said from behind her mouth. Tom grimaced as he couldn't help but feel glad he'd made her smile given how desolate she'd looked before.

"That's not what I expected." Tom said wincing as gin droplet rolled into his left eye. Damn it stung like a bitch.

"Napkin?" She offered with a embarrassed smile.

"Thanks." Tom said as he took the napkin she offered and wiped his face.

"What are you all up to?" She asked him, as it wasn't hard to miss the peanut gallery that was laughing at them from across the room. Tom looked over to the table where they waved and gave him thumbs up. Tom gave them the one finger salute which made them laugh even harder.

"See the woman with the group. Her name is Rivera, her boyfriend cheated on her and now our crew are attempting to cheer her up by humiliating ourselves." Tom told her.

"Looks to be working." She observed as those at the table were having a good time at their expense.

"Yeah, you'd think. Why are you drinking alone on Valentine's day?" he asked her changing the topic, her expression shuttered as she gave him a bored look.

"Really? what part of not interested did you not get?" She asked him.

"The part where you're still standing here, talking to me." Tom said being cocky.

"Ok, well you've had your fun-"

"Tom and I promise no more lines. I was just hoping we could sit here and talk so I can be saved from humiliating myself any further." he said holding out his hand, she looked at his hand for a moment before she looked back at him.

"Sasha," she said shaking his hand and relaxing back into her chair. Tom smiled at the name as it suited her. "Take a seat Tom, tell me what other terrible lines your friends have been plying on the poor women in this bar as I could use a laugh." she added, Tom need to be told twice as he took a seat at the bar next to her and order them a round of drinks. One club soda and a Gin and Tonic with a wedge of Lime. Once it was served he launched into the funniest story of the night so far.

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 _The End._


End file.
